U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board

Members of the Travel and Tourism Advisory Board met with Secretary Gary Locke on June 9, 2009.  Left to right:  Bill DeCota, Director of Aviation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey; Noel Irwin Hentschel, Chairman, Co-Founder and CEO, AmericanTours International; Jeremy Jacobs, Chairman and CEO, Delaware North Companies, Secretary Gary Locke; Marilyn Carlson Nelson, Chairman and CEO, Carlson Companies; Dawn Drew, Vice President, Travel, National Geographic; David Kong, President and CEO, Best Western International; and Adam Sacks, Managing Director, Tourism Economics.

The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board serves as the advisory body to the Secretary of Commerce on matters relating to the travel and tourism industry in the United States. The Board advises the Secretary on government policies and programs that affect the U.S. travel and tourism industry, offers counsel on current and emerging issues, and provides a forum for discussing and proposing solutions to industry-related problems.

The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board consists of up to fifteen members appointed by the Secretary of Commerce. Members represent companies and organizations in the travel and tourism industry from a broad range of products and services, company sizes and geographic locations. Members serve, at the pleasure of the Secretary, from the date of appointment to the Board until the date on which the Board’s charter terminates.

The U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board was originally chartered in 2003, and re-chartered in August 2005 and in September 2007.

At the June 2009 meeting, the Board formally presented Secretary Locke with a Policy Review document for the three issues addressed by the Board. Those issues are: airport congestion and infrastructure, travel facilitation and economic sustainability. (Additional information about this is contained in the 6/9/09 meeting minutes, located under “Meetings” in this section.)

The first Board focused their initial efforts on the International Promotion Campaign in the United Kingdom, the United States’ largest overseas market for international travelers. The campaign was largely successful, and in the second year of the Board’s efforts, the campaign’s focus was expanded to include Japan.

The second Board was asked to advise the Secretary on the development, creation, and implementation of a national tourism strategy. On September 5, 2006, the Board approved its strategy report, Restoring America's Travel Brand: A National Strategy to Compete for International Visitors. The report outlined ways to make it easier for people to visit the United States, while ensuring both hospitality and security. The Strategy called for: removing unnecessary barriers to travel; creating a welcoming first impression; providing a stronger voice for travel and tourism in government; and, ensuring accountability on the value of travel and tourism and the return on investment.

The Assistant Secretary of Manufacturing and Services serves as the Board’s Executive Director. The Office of Advisory Committees serves as the Executive Secretariat for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The Executive Secretariat can be reached at (202) 482-4501 or U.S. Department of Commerce, 1401 Constitution Avenue, NW, Room 4043, Washington, DC, 20230. Additional information on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board can be found on the website for the Office of Travel and Tourism Industries, http://tinet.ita.doc.gov.